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Old 04-29-2013, 11:35 AM   #57
WolfSongX
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Drives: 2013 Subaru BRZ Limited SWP
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
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Originally Posted by WolfSongX View Post
Since I only had enough ring terminals for one cable, I used a piece of 2 gauge to reinforce the factory ground from the body to the negative battery terminal. I can usually cause that "misfire" feel by having the A/C, the rear defroster, the stereo, headlights, and the brakelights on (mostly get it on my morning commute at stoplights) but testing similar conditions yesterday, the car didn't have that "almost stalled" feel when the idle dipped. I'll post more findings tomorrow, but it looks like there are some benefits in improving the grounds.

Subarus in the past have notoriously bad grounds from the factory, and it looks like the BRZ isn't an exception.
Just to follow up, I've been running the reinforced ground for three weeks now, and I have yet to have the car feel like it will stall at a stop light.

The idle jump is still there, but it's much smoother and less severe than it was before. I have tested it in a variety of circumstances and even on a cold day with the front/rear defrost on, A/C on, headlights on and the stereo cranking I have yet to have it drop to the point that it feels like it wants to stall, something that was constantly bugging me on my morning commute when I first bought the car... and I found that running with the A/C off was the only way to prevent it.

So in conclusion, there is an advantage to reinforcing the chassis ground if this "about to stall" feeling has been bothering you. Because Subarus have historically had lousy factory grounds, based on my observed results, there is also sufficient argument that reinforcing the grounds on the block and tranny might be worth pursuing.
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Derek

2013 BRZ Limited SWP
Professional driver in search of closed course..
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